


to die well, or not at all

by the_other_lutece_sister



Series: to die well, or not at all [1]
Category: Class (TV 2016), Doctor Who, Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Aliens, F/F, Gen, alternative universe, propunk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-01 16:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8630566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_other_lutece_sister/pseuds/the_other_lutece_sister
Summary: basically Class, but with Sarah as Charlie and Rachel as Miss Quill...alien enemies bound together and trapped on Earth,





	1. The Escape

**Author's Note:**

> soundtrack - Fall Into Me by Alev Lenz
> 
> Currently obsessing over Miss Quill, so of course I made it propunk.  
> a one-off so far but may expand it.

_Prologue_

 

R'achel sneered and threw a small plastic sack at Sarah. It was filled with a bloody viscous fluid and it sagged and squished in her hands. Sarah stared down at it in vague horror, then back up at the Quill.

 

“It’s the Ahn,” she said, her voice darkly gleeful. “I’m no longer your slave, princess. I have my free will back.” She looked down lovingly at the weapon in her hands. “And I have my gun.” The dark metal shone and pale blue lights flashed along the top.

Sarah stared at her in shock. She didn’t know how she’d gotten the Ahn out of her head, though the livid scar crossing her left eye gave her a rough idea. It shouldn’t have been possible, not without the Quill dying in the process. She blinked as she noticed Rachel’s hair. It was long. Several inches longer than it had been an hour ago. Where (when?) had she _gone_?

Now, she was faced with her mortal enemy, free and armed, with nothing to stop her from killing Sarah and anyone else that got in the way of her vendetta against the Shadow Kin.

“ _Y-es_ ,” Rachel hissed, reading Sarah’s face with ease. “Things are going to _change_ around here.”

 

 

_Six months earlier_

 

Screams rent the air of Rhodia. Sarah, Princess of the Rhodian people, halted at the doorway to the throne room and stared in horror at the dead bodies strewn across the floor, then kept running. She didn’t know what else to do. Her own mother had been slaughtered before her eyes. They had been invaded - not by another cadre of the Quill, as they first assumed, but by the Shadow Kin, pouring in through a crack in time and space, with no objective other than complete annihilation of the entire population.

 

She heard footsteps behind her, and chanced a look over her shoulder. For a second she felt relief - it _wasn’t_ a Shadow. Then she recognised the figure that was close enough to grab Sarah’s mane of hair as it flew out behind her. R’achel, warrior of the Quill, and their most fearsome fighter. She doubled her efforts but the Quill gained easily, spitting out _run_ as she passed.

 _What does it look like I’m doing_ she hissed back at her.

_Is that how Rhodians run? No wonder the rest of your people are dead already._

The two of them rounded a corner. Dead end.

The Quill prodded the wall.

 _What’s the point of a corridor that doesn't lead anywhere?_ she muttered angrily. _And why would you run down it anyway?_

 _You were in front of me_ pointed out Sarah.

R’achel waved her hand dismissively. She froze as a faint sound reached her ears, then turned in a circle, trying to ascertain which direction it was coming from. Sarah heard it too - a kind of whirring, grinding siren noise that grew louder and louder. She looked about, bewildered, even more so when a strange blue cabinet appeared at the corridors end.

The Rhodian and the Quill unconsciously drew together, preparing to face yet another enemy, but instead found themselves the object of scrutiny by what looked to be a human with curly silver hair and a sardonic expression.

“Hello! Need a lift?”

 

“Yes.” said R’achel immediately, and shoved Sarah out of the way, striding into the blue box. Sarah gaped after her, then at the box, and finally at the strange man. She closed her mouth. Then opened it again.

“The cabinet! I need to -”

“Already picked it up for you,” he said cheerfully. “Come along then, princess, we’ll get you both somewhere safe.”

Her shoulders sank, and she hesitantly stepped through the door. She immediately stopped and turned around. Turned around again. Looked at the door. Looked at the man, who was watching her with a grin. Turned around again.

“It’s…..” she managed.

“Oh, for the gods sake,” said the Quill from across the room, scornfully. “You’ll have to excuse the _princess,_ Doctor. Apparently the royal education doesn’t cover advanced technology.”

Sarah glared at her. Of course she’d heard of the Time Lords and their ships - she’d just never expected to be standing in one.

The Doctor just cocked an eyebrow at Sarah sympathetically, pulling some levers and pushing some buttons. The odd noise started up again.

She looked around again - the room was huge, metallic, with small and slightly surreal touches. An armchair and a small bookcase filled with antique-looking volumes sat on the walkway that stretched around half the wall. A chalkboard on an easel sat opposite. It was covered with what could be equations, or a really complicated pudding recipe. But there, on the floor in front of what seemed to be the control panel, was the small wooden Cabinet of Souls. Sarah fell to her knees and touched the top of the cabinet, bowing her head.

R’achel watched her from across the room, with a kind of hunger in her eyes. Hunger for Sarah, or for what lay in the cabinet, was unclear.

 

After only a few minutes, the Doctor threw open the door again and announced,

“Earth!” He seemed disappointed in his companion's lack of enthusiasm. “Well...you’ll get used to it. Lovely planet. This is London, a bit rainy  but there are some nice trees. Try to fit in. Just say you’re from Sheffield. Good luck!”

 

Sarah and R’achel were left standing in a light drizzle, watching the TARDIS fade away in front of them, Sarah struggling to hold the Cabinet of Souls in her arms. R’achel’s expression could have frozen hell over. She jabbed a finger towards Sarah, stopping just short of touching her.

“Not only am I enslaved to you, _princess -”_ her voice dripped with condescension on the title, “But now I am _trapped_ on this backwards planet. For the time being, at least.” She stalked away, every line of her body radiating anger.

 

Sarah looked up at the grey sky. An image of her mother’s body flashed across her eyes and she squeezed them shut. Then she exhaled, opened them again, and followed the Quill to their new home.


	2. The Ahn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> R'achel explains the Ahn

“Wait. You’re an alien? You’re _both_ aliens? For real?”

R’achel rolled her eyes, already bored.

“That’s right,” said Sarah, “I know it’s hard to…”

“Oh, no, it explains a _lot_!” exclaimed Cosima. She was one of Sarah’s new classmates, and as a science geek was more excited than startled to find out not only was the new girl was an alien, but the new teacher as well. She waved her arms in the air and grinned crookedly. “It’s totally an honour to, like, welcome you to earth!”

A frown crossed over R’achel’s face.

“What do you mean - it explains a lot? Have we not been acting _human_ enough?” She sniffed. “Honestly, most of you have _no_ idea what is actually going _on_ in the universe, let alone in front of your faces. Which are - “ She looked pointedly at Sarah, “oddly shaped. And _boring_ . So I fail to see how we haven’t fooled _all_ of you.”

 

Sarah glared back at her, then took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.  She felt oddly taken aback by the insult - she had settled into human form rather comfortably, and personally found R’achels face and golden hair surprisingly pleasing. Not that she cared what the Quill looked like. Why should she.

 

“Oh...no...I mean… you make great humans! Really! It’s just -” Cosima glanced sideways at Alison, who was still staring at the two human-looking aliens in disbelief. “Well...Miss Duncan is always giving us equations to solve that don’t use any formula I’ve ever heard about, like _ever,_ plus she glares at us without blinking for _hours_ , and you, Sarah, you’re always googling basic stuff that even a home-schooler would know. Like -” She waved a hand in the air, several beaded bracelets making clacking sounds. “Like what are potatoes, and how far is Westeros from England, and who is the current queen?”

 

A panicky feeling washed over Sarah. “It’s still Elizabeth, right?” she asked. “I mean, she hasn’t been assassinated or - ” R’achel snorted and crossed her arms.

Cosima laughed, and Alison put a hand to her face, looking horrified.

“You can’t just - assassinate the Queen, Sarah.” she said stiffly, “ I don’t know how they managed things on _your_ planet…” She was interrupted by R’achel scoffing.

“Are you trying to tell me,” she said incredulously, “that royalty is somehow... _immune_ ...to death here? No wonder you like this planet so much, _princess.”_

 

Both the other girls mouths fell open. Then shut.

“ **_Princess_ **?” They said simultaneously.

Sarah sank her face into her hands as R’achel raised an eyebrow.

“It doesn’t make her any more special than any of you. Or me. Me particularly.”

Sighing, Sarah rubbed her face, then ran a hand through her hair.

“Yeah, I am - I _was_ \- a princess, of Rhodia. But now I have no people, so…” she shrugged.

An accented voice broke in excitedly.

“You are princess?”

Sarah shut her eyes again. The odd blonde girl had been following her around since she started attending the school, and while she seemed...nice, if a little intense, Sarah didn’t plan on getting close to anyone. That just put other people in danger, and she’d already seen enough death.

But it was a bit late now - the Shadow Kin had attempted to cross through to Earth, people had _seen_ them, that’s why she and the Quill were talking to them now. And Helena certainly had some advantages over the other girls. She knew how to _fight,_ and she had no friends, so she wasn’t likely to go spilling secrets. Sarah opened her eyes again to find Helena standing a foot away, practically vibrating with excitement, her frizzy hair framing her face like a halo.

She shook her head. “I _used_ to be. On another planet.”

Helena nodded thoughtfully. From the little Sarah knew about her, she’d had an _interesting_ life. Probably aliens barely fazed her. She pointed at R’achel.

“And the angry teacher - she is princess from the stars too?”

“Certainly _not.”_ snapped R’achel. She raised her chin. “I am a Quill. We were rebelling against the Rhodian Empire - ”

“ _Invading_!” interjected Sarah. “Miss Duncan here was the Quill’s leading terrorist - “

“Freedom fighter!” R’achel corrected curtly, lowering her voice to add, “and now slave.”

The three girls frowned, faces turning between the two aliens.

“Servant.” Sarah retorted softly, staring at her hands. Her leg started to jump slightly, like it always did when the guilt reared its ugly head.

“ _Slave.”_ Her voice was louder now, and strident. She exhaled in frustration. “It was like this -”

 

She explained about the Ahn. It was a small creature, about the size of two human thumbs, with teeth and claws, each claw tipped with poison.

The Rhodians used them as a punishment. They would release one into the victims skull, where it would dig its claws into their brain, and create a telepathic link to a particular Rhodia, binding them together. Unable to hurt the Rhodia in any way, unable to lie to them, forced to protect them from all harm.

R’achel had attempted to assassinate the Rhodian princess, had been caught, and now she was bound to Sarah for the rest of her existence.

“My _miserable_ existence, if this state of affairs continues.”

 

Sarah was still staring downwards.

“It...it’s the punishment. You can’t…” Her voice trailed off.

R’achel stared at her, loathing and hunger on her face.

“If I use a weapon other than my own hands, the Ahn kills me. Yet, if I fail to protect you, I am also killed. If I try to remove the Ahn, dead again. Slavery. “ She folded her arms across her chest and looked away, her mouth a tight line of red.

 

“That’s horrible!” Alison exclaimed. “Sarah, can’t you _do_ something?” She gave Miss Duncan a sympathetic look, getting ignored in response. She didn’t need sympathy from any of these silly little humans.

“No, I bloody can’t do anything!” snapped Sarah. “The people who _can_ are all dead. Right?”

Alison pursed her lips in disapproval.

“Are you really a princess? You certainly don’t _talk_ like one.”

“Oh, bugger off, Alison!” Sarah stormed off. It wasn’t her fault that the human persona she’d taken on was so...so… She searched for the right words...so _bollocky_ prone to rough language.

 

A small voice behind her said, “Sarah?” It was Helena. She had trailed after Sarah and had a determined expression. She patted Sarah on the arm. “Do not worry about Alison. She is very - hm - proper.” She gave a small grin. “Cosima says she has stick-up-the-arse.”

Sarah frowned. “That sounds painful.” Noticing Helena’s expression, she added, “Oh. Not a literal stick. Right. I see.”

Helena put her fingers to her lips, tugging on the bottom one.

“Sarah, I...understand. I think. The angry teacher tried to hurt you. Now she can’t. But you feel bad. About her. I see it in your face. You are...a good person, I think.” It was the most Helena had ever said to her in one go. Sarah smiled back at her. She rather liked these humans. Most of them, anyway.

“Thanks, Helena. That’s...I appreciate it.”

The blonde girl grinned widely.

“And if she tries to hurt you again, I will -” She made a throat-slitting gesture.

“Um.” Sarah hesitated. “She can’t hurt me, not as long as she has that thing in her head. I’ll be fine.” She reached out and patted Helena’s arm - she was still working out human social interaction, but it seemed to be ok to return arm-pats.. “But thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just trying to get this out of my head (ha, like the Ahn! ahaha...ha)

**Author's Note:**

> follow me,  
> i'll show you the way,  
> out of this place  
> out of this place,  
> fall into me,  
> and drown inside me  
> i know you will see,  
> the beauty of me,  
> the beauty of me,  
> now you see,  
> all that i can be  
> i know you will see,  
> the beauty of me,  
> tired are your splendid soldiers,  
> tired are they, here they go,  
> tired are your splendid soldiers,  
> tired are they, here they go,  
> tired are your splendid soldiers,  
> tired are they,  
> here they go?


End file.
